


I've got your back

by PaisleyWraith



Series: Paisley's Mysterion [5]
Category: South Park
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-02-23
Packaged: 2019-03-23 01:14:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13776570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaisleyWraith/pseuds/PaisleyWraith
Summary: Kenny's a suspect in the crime of being the city's vigilante, which unfortunately he happens to be guilty of. Before he can be more than asked a few simple questions, someone swoops in to save the day...Mysterion.





	I've got your back

**Author's Note:**

> A request on my Tumblr led to the making of this for you.

He was bound to get caught one of these days.

Kenny answered each question with calmness born from living with in a house with drunks and sharing a garage with drugged-out criminals.

“I’m not Mysterion,” He lied each time, over and over and over.

“You were at the scene of the crime before and after, but not during!” The man insisted. “You looked roughed up afterwards, tired, the officer made a note.”

Kenny shrugged. “My boyfriend’s pretty enthusiastic. When he wants some, I’m not going to say no to that.”

“Don’t play games,” The man warned. “This is something very, very serious. You need to tell us the truth, or you’ll be in far worse trouble.”

“Look,” Kenny lifted his shoulders, trying to look unconcerned. “I’m just a college kid, I’m majoring in welding and I work at a bakery in my spare time where I wear frilly aprons and wake up at five in the morning. I don’t have time to be running around in the middle of the night, much less around gun-wielding freaks.”

“You were at the scene,” The man repeated.

“And my boyfriend already told you I was with him,” Kenny insisted. “I’m not jumping into any fights. I left a bad home, I’m trying to lead a good example for my little sister. That’s not me.”

“Sir?” Someone came over from another desk, interrupting the laid-back interrogation as they nervously looked at Kenny. “Can I talk to you for a moment?”

The officer stood, leaving Kenny to whatever he liked. The blond sighed, wishing he was allowed to use his phone and text Kyle.

He knew it would come to this someday. It might be time to retire the suit if he was going to be watched. If they let him go at all, and they might not let him go at all. He just hoped Kyle and Karen wouldn’t be dragged into this. It was bad enough that they talked to Kyle for so long, the poor kid. Having to lie to the police for him wasn’t exactly something he ever thought Kyle would have to do for him.

And he’d done it without thinking twice.

“Mr. McCormick?” The officer was back, sitting down at his desk. “You’re free to go.”

Kenny blinked.

“Mysterion was seen off seventh. You’re good.”

Kenny swallowed. “Thanks.” He stood and walked until he was out of the building and out of sight. And then he ran.

Seventh was too far away. The apartment was closer. He had to check. Had to know. If Kyle did what he thought he did, Kenny was going to kill him.

He wasn’t like Kenny. Kenny came back, he had the weird-ass power over his life that was basically Mysterion’s only gift. That and when he was especially pissed, some kind of energy that seemed to always work in his favor.

Kyle was a soft-stomached, nerdy college student that could utterly trash people in his weight and height, make no mistake, but to put him against actual career criminals? If Kenny fucked up, he returned good as new. Infinite lives, far as he could tell.

Kyle just had one, precious, important life.

And Mysterion was universally hated among the criminals of the city.

Kenny’s lungs burned as he reached his apartment, flying up the stairs. Years of fighting night crime didn’t mean he didn’t still get tired. But he pressed on, hands shaking as he unlocked their door, slamming it behind him as he flew into their bright, tastefully-decorated living room.

“Kyle?!” He called, desperately. He didn’t have work, his classes were over. He should be home by now. “Ky, baby, sweetheart…” He rambled endearments as he stumbled into their room, hoping against everything that Kyle was going to be snoring away in their bed, exhausted from a week of finals and worrying over Kenny.

Their bed was neatly made, no Kyle.

He closed his eyes. Steeled himself.

He walked to the closet, lifting a box off the shelf and finding it empty before he even looked in.

He threw it against the wall in an uncharacteristic rage.

“You stupid fucking idiot,” Kenny hissed as he dug through the closet for something else. “You asshole, moronic fuck-ass with no sense of fucking self-preservation fucking shit all…”

These walls must be so used to those words by now, only normally from the other boy.

Kenny yanked out an old suitcase, something he’d mostly just used for the move. He unsnapped the one lock that wasn’t broken, lifting it up.

His old uniform lay inside, worn and paler in color from his newer suit. He pulled it and the accompanying cloak, boots, and gloves out.

He shimmied into the outfit, finding it fit a bit more snugly. He’d been little more than a bag of bones when he left Colorado, malnourished and easily exhausted. He’d gained weight, his skin was a healthier color, and he’d gained a little self-respect. But he had remained Mysterion.

Luckily the majority of weight he gained was muscle, making his old suit look startlingly good on his body. He threw the cloak on, the ill-fitted mask, shoved his gloves and boots on and ran for the door.

Fuck it, if he got caught, that was fine. If Kyle was in trouble, he was risking anything to get him out of it. This morning him being arrested and tried was his only worry. Kyle had to go try and be heroic, didn’t he?

The door opened just as he opened the bedroom door, and he froze.

A second Mysterion slammed the door behind him, and the two stared at each other.

The other one was broader in the shoulder, but with softer angles to his body. His cheekbones under the mask were sharp, however, and his uniform hugged him in very nice places. The uniform was more padded, protected, a sharper purple and darker cloak. His eyes looked almost frightening under the cowl, and his shoulder was stained dark red.

“What the fuck!” Kenny growled, heart racing. He grabbed the other boy by the front of his uniform, dragging him into their bathroom. “What the fuck did you do, what the fuck happened, you stupid fucking asshole-”

“You were being interrogated,” Kyle’s Mysterion voice held no growl, was just lower and soft. Velvet instead of gravel. “I wasn’t going to let you go to jail over that.”

“So you decided to get yourself hurt?” Kenny shoved Kyle to sit down on the bathtub, yanking a first aid kit from under the sink. “What an absolute genius you are, Broflovski.”

“Now you know how I feel,” Kyle snarled back, “And it’s not bad. Guy came at me with a knife, out of nowhere.”

“Yeah, guess what?” Kenny unsnapped the uniform and pulled the sleeve down as Kyle grit his teeth. “People don’t like Mysterion.”

Kyle’s laceration was not pretty, but as he washed it, he shouldn’t have to go to the hospital if he didn’t want to.

“Do you want me to take you-”

“I’m fine,” Kyle bit, falling back into angry silence.

Kenny fumed silently as he patched him up. Made sure he wouldn’t get an infection from the damn thing. He’d kill whoever hurt Kyle. Sliced him open, his Kyle, brave, stupid Kyle who cared about him enough to nearly kill himself over getting him out of trouble.

Kenny's hands were shaking as they gently patched up the boy. 

“This isn’t your responsibility,” Kenny hissed. “Don’t you ever do anything like this again.”

“You do, all the time,” Kyle snapped back, green eyes nearly matching the M on his chest in color. Vivid and pissed off. Gorgeous. “And I have to be okay with it. You can be okay with this, just this once, and you can fuck right off with the motherly talk, I’m not listening to that shit.”

“This,” Kenny, rather pettily, pressed his fingers against the bruised skin around the cut and made Kyle wince. “Is nothing compared to what’s happened to me. You could have been killed.”

“Welcome to my fucking world,” Kyle grabbed his arm out of his grasp, shoving it back into the uniform.

“I at least come back!” Kenny pointed out, and Kyle stood up so quickly he nearly headbutt him in the nose.

“And it’s horrifying every time!” Kyle burst, and this boy was meant to wear a mask. Every inch of Mysterion’s ferocity, rage, power, was lined just by a regular boy with a cowl. Kenny’s line of thought was broken just from surprise. “Do you have any idea how scary it is to know you’re hurt somewhere, dying out on the streets by yourself and I can’t do anything about it? It’s not a worry for me, Kenny, it’s my goddamn reality.”

Kenny was still enraged. He grit his teeth, trying not to shout back. Years of listening to his parents scream at each other made him hesitant to even raise his voice to Kyle. Instead, he violently grabbed the boy and yanked him into his arms, so hard it probably hurt and Kyle nearly fell backwards into the bathtub.

Kenny pressed him close, one hand against the back of his neck. Needing him close. Feeling him breathe. Kyle gripped his cloak with his good hand, exhaling shakily.

“You scared me so bad, baby,” Kenny’s voice returned to his own, whispering gently. “I just about lost my mind.”

The anger leaked out of Kyle’s posture, and he leaned into Kenny. His hand came up to gently pull down Kenny’s hood, pressing a kiss to his jaw.

“I’m not sorry,” Kyle said, quietly.

“Neither am I,” Kenny replied, just as solemnly.

Both of them just held each other. Two mirrors, and Kenny finally let Kyle go and pushed back the mask.

He cupped Kyle’s face, watching the sweat-damp curls and ferocity in his eyes.

“I’m still mad,” Kenny said, wanting Kyle to know.

“Me too,” Kyle retorted.

Kenny smushed his cheeks slightly and kissed him. Solidly, slow, inhaling the boy.

“Did whoever cut you say anything?’ Kenny purred against his lips. Mysterion would be interested to know who it was. However long it took, he was going to make sure that guy got comeuppance, even if he had no idea what he just did.

“He regretted it, I’ll tell you that,” Kyle smirked, and yes, the boy was meant to be a hero. And hopefully never was again.

Kenny stroked his fingers down his face, pressing his forehead against Kyle’s. He was okay. He was alive.

“I am sorry that I scared you,” Kyle admitted, the anger bled even out of his eyes. He brushed Kenny’s hair back, just seeming to want to touch him.

Kenny decided to leave it there. He kissed him between the brows, hands sliding to his shoulders as he carefully avoided the wound. He took the kid in, his courageous, fiercely protective partner.

“You know,” Kenny drawled, because he had to ruin everything, always, “I think I finally get your attraction to this suit.”

Yep. Kyle’s smile fell flat.

“Don’t you dare start,” Kyle warned, and Kenny grabbed his cape and flicked his wrist to send it floating and take a look.

“Your ass looks nicer in this than mine,” Kenny mentioned, and Kyle took a half-hearted swipe at him.

“That’s because you barely have one,” He retorted, stalking away, and the noise Kenny made was half indignation and half amusement.

“Excuse me?” Kenny followed him out as Kyle took off the cape, inadvertently (or not) giving Kenny a great look at the aformentioned booty. “I am a good-looking man.”

“You are,” The words didn’t have quite the flirt he’d come to expect from Kyle, and he watched as the boy began to strip the uniform off in their bedroom.

Kenny leaned against the doorframe, waiting.

“Are we going to pretend this didn’t happen?” Kyle asked, one hand checking the bandaged wound.

Kenny was quiet for a moment. He thought about his words, carefully.

“I’ll stay off the streets for a while,” He decided. He didn’t want to get Kyle drawn in as an accessory, or worse, get him back in the suit he was currently shucking off.

“Good,” Kyle was struggling to unlace the boots and Kenny moved to stoop next to the bed, untying them for him. “Tell me when you start up again, though.”

“Why do you have to know, if you don’t want to?” Kenny asked quietly, as Kyle sat on the bed.

“If I had gone off today and you didn’t know, how would you feel if I didn’t tell you?”

Fuck. Kenny relented, sighing. He helped Kyle take off the suit entirely at last and pressed a kiss to the inside of his knee. Kyle was really fucking obnoxious when he was right. He brushed a hand soothingly over his thigh as the other stood, carefully pulling one of Kenny’s tshirts over his head with a wince.

“I’ll tell you,” Kenny conceded. “Because I will be going back.”

“I know,” Kyle said, moving back to sit on the bed, looking up at him. “I know you will.”

“You’ve never asked me to stop,” The vigilante mentioned, unhooking his old cloak and tossing it aside.

“I won’t, either,” Kyle unzipped the back for him. “That’s not my choice.”

“I’m just surprised,” Kenny awkwardly mentioned, trying to get Kyle to talk more than a couple sentences at once. Normally he was quieter and Kyle was trying to pry. Kyle raised an eyebrow and he picked the cloak back up before stripping off the ill-fitted uniform. “If you hate it so much. Why not give me some kind of ultimatum or something?”

“Because that would be wrong and kind of abusive?” Kyle answered incredulously. Kenny grabbed a pair of sweatpants, as well as one of Kyle’s old jerseys he’d handed over to Kenny. Steal a shirt for a shirt, only fair.

Kenny huffed slightly, tugging his clothes on. Of course. Kyle would bite his tongue and let him, because he loved him. He was stupid that way. No wonder he was up so often when Kenny returned, no wonder he invariably welcomed him back with utter relief. Kenny crawled to sit next to him on the bed, giving him a sweet kiss.

Kyle finally smiled, leaning his head on Kenny’s shoulder. The taller boy wrapped an arm around him, finally starting to relax. He could hear the clock in the living room, the buzz of the light he left on in the bathroom. Their home, just him and Kyle, both safe and out of danger.

And he’d go back out and fight, because he needed to. Why, he wasn’t sure he could put to words. Kyle had asked before, and Kenny brushed it off. He didn’t know why, in the end. Kyle’s support was both heartwarming and made him feel like kind of a shitty boyfriend.

“Want me to make dinner?” Kenny offered, not normally one to cook. “You can chill on the couch, my injured hero, and I’ll be at your beck and call.”

Kyle snorted, trying not to laugh and failing miserably. “Sounds great to me.”

Kenny pressed a kiss into those pretty curls, standing to offer Kyle a hand. Not that he needed help getting up, just…just to hold it. Just because. They walked into the living room together, Kyle explaining the events down to a recount and Kenny listening, smiling. Regardless of how much he would never want Kyle out there, he would have been a pretty badass good guy.

The world was lucky Kenny would never allow it.


End file.
